Wednesday, October 20, 2004

The Case of the Missing Flu Vaccine

John Kerry wanted to blame Bush for the lack of flu vaccine available in the United States.  George you horder you.  For a realistic reason why the flu vaccine is in short supply, you need to read “La Grippe of the Trial Lawyers," which was written by William Tucker and published at The Weekly Standard.

From Tucker’s article.

"If Kerry thinks he can solve the flu vaccine problem, he need look no further than his own running mate, trial lawyer John Edwards. Vaccines are the one area of medicine where trial lawyers are almost completely responsible for the problem. No one can plausibly point a finger at insurance companies, drug companies, or doctors. Lawyers have won the vaccine game so completely that nobody wants to play."

Thanks to Greg Swann at Presence of Mind for the link, who got it from Diana Hsieh, who just happens to have the flu.

Posted by John Venlet on 10/20 at 03:56 PM
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A Real Tough Guy

"The Rock Hill Police Department is investigating why an officer used an electric stun gun on a 75-year-old woman who refused to leave a nursing home where she had gone to visit an ailing friend."

The headline reads,

“Police stun 75-year-old"

and the sub-headline reads,

"Rock Hill chief says Taser was used after woman attacked officer"

Let’s read about the “attack.”

"Police say Kimbrell eventually got up but walked toward the cafeteria after spotting someone she knew. At that point, the officer blocked Kimbrell and told her she was under arrest. Kimbrell then swung her arm at the officer, according to the police report."

My, that’s a vicious attack, a 75 year old woman swinging her arm, how does one protect themselves from that?  Why, a Taser of course.

Via Drudge.

Update: Laughable Justifications

The police are investigating the incident referenced above.  Some laughable excerpts from the article, which I will link below.

This one is directly from the Taser manufacturer.

"The company that made the electric stun gun used last week on a 75-year-old Rock Hill woman said Wednesday the device is not dangerous, even to the elderly.
“Medical testing and field results have shown that ... electrical discharge is not harmful to either pregnant females, their fetus, or to elderly people,” Taser International said in a written statement. The devices “save lives every day, and numerous medical and scientific studies have concluded that Taser devices are among the safest use-of-force options available."

This one is from police.

"The officer and Kimbrell are about the same size. Police said that was also a factor in Macon’s action. Macon is 5-foot-4-inches and 151 pounds. Kimbrell is 5-foot- 9-inches and 145 pounds." (What, does the 75 year old Kimbrell know Jui Jitsu, Karate, Kung Fu, and six other martial art disciplines?)

“Company stands by Taser’s safety"

Update link also via Drudge.

Posted by John Venlet on 10/20 at 07:53 AM
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What if I Didn't Know the Parlance of the Day?

The headline.

“Gay novelist wins Booker Prize"

I’d be bright, merry and lively if I won a Booker, too.

From the body of the article.

"British author Alan Hollinghurst has won the 2004 Booker Prize, the most prestigious literary award issued by Britain, for his gay novel “The Line of Beauty”.

So, evidently the novel is bright, merry and lively, also.

Wouldn’t the word homosexual be more aptly applied here?

Posted by John Venlet on 10/20 at 05:07 AM
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Tuesday, October 19, 2004

What's This All About?

I had not heard of this until now.  I was thinking that the worst Muslim found on any airliner since 9/11 was either that Reid character or the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens.  Cough.

“What Happened on United Airlines Flight 925?"

Via Gary Cruse at The Owner’s Manual.

Posted by John Venlet on 10/19 at 04:52 PM
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How Nuanced Is This Law?

"Joseph Nee, 18, a senior at Marshfield High School whose father heads the main Boston police union, pleaded innocent to conspiracy to commit mass murder and promotion of anarchy. He was ordered held without bail."

Does this mean that an individual residing in the state of Massachusetts cannot speak, publicly, in support of anarchy?  Does it mean pamphlets or other materials may not be freely distributed by individuals who promote anarchy?  Or is this only some kind of add on law, which can only be part of a package deal?  You can’t get this, unless you did that, too.

I’m just wondering.

“Police union boss’s son arrested in alleged Massachusetts high school plot"

Posted by John Venlet on 10/19 at 04:26 PM
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Free Pill Boxes, I'll Fill'em with Drugs After You Vote for Me

The above title, must be the message John Kerry is spreading after viewing this photo and accompanying caption.

Dig those funky glasses on the Kerry flunky handing out the pill boxes.  “Peace, love, dope, beads, bangles, crash pads and Hare Krishna,” baby.

Posted by John Venlet on 10/19 at 06:53 AM
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An August Body?

The Supreme Court of the United States is supposedly an august body.  Brilliant legal minds, supposedly, deciding issues of utmost importance to individuals living in the United States.  Well, if this is true, why in the world is the Supreme Court diddling around with a case that involves a convicted murderer wearing shackles?

“High court will take up prisoner shackling case"

Does it have anything to do with not enough orgies taking place out there in the world?

Posted by John Venlet on 10/19 at 04:31 AM
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They're Listening, Evidently

You’re sitting there, minding your own business, watching your flat screen Toshiba teevee, and there’s a knock on the door.  You’re not expecting anyone, certainly not any ”...Air Force staffers, a policeman and a search and rescue officer...," but there they are at your front door anyway.  What the heck is up with this, you think to yourself.  Well, this is what is up with that.

"What they found was a man watching his Toshiba flat-screen TV equipped with a built-in VCR, DVD and CD player. It seems the TV was sending out the 121.5 MHz distress signal."

And what is the outcome of this little search and rescue operation?

"Van Rossman was ordered to keep his TV turned off - or face a $10,000 fine for emitting a false distress alert."

Dang, I hope Van Rossman didn’t miss the Yankees/Red Sox game last night.

“Toshiba TV cries for help."

Via Google News.

Posted by John Venlet on 10/19 at 03:12 AM
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Monday, October 18, 2004

The Perfect Words for an Introduction

The introduction phrase,

“...a stark juxtaposition involving the truly compassionate and the truly grateful."

The juxtaposition.

"Otherwise—during the recent island excursion, I happened to spend a few minutes in the atrium of Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport. (Oh wait… it’s now “Hartsfield-Race-Grifter-Maynard-Jackson International Airport”. I almost forgot.) Sitting there, I observed a line of troops in desert camo, standing two-abreast in the outlet of a corridor into the atrium space. On a signal, they took up their gear and began to move out, in column. They made their way through the atrium, and the whole place—perhaps three hundred people (it was early)—stood up as one, rendering a thunderous ovation for the whole time that the troops were in sight.

Lamed by the spectacle, I couldn’t move to get out my camera. I wish I had, though. It was terrific." (bold added to maintain author‘s emphasis)

The juxtaposed.

Perfect.

Posted by John Venlet on 10/18 at 05:38 PM
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Har, Har, Har, Har, Har

"I don’t think the Russian or the French or the Chinese government would allow itself to be bought...” Annan said.

Well, at least not cheaply.

"I think it’s inconceivable. These are very serious and important governments. You are not dealing with banana republics."

This is serious stuff.

That Kofi Annan is one funny guy.  Har, Har, Har.

“Annan: Iraq War Hasn’t Made World Safer"

Via Drudge.

Posted by John Venlet on 10/18 at 05:01 AM
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Sunday, October 17, 2004

Dreaming While You're Wide Awake

I previously thought the above was only possible while under the influence of morphine, but, after reading about Janelia Farm, it might be possible to do, and get paid for it, without resorting to injectable delights.  These guys desire to take a picture of a thought, as it is formed, in a brain cell.

Via Patri Friedman over at Catallarchy.

Posted by John Venlet on 10/17 at 03:06 PM
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Go Play in the Street with Gasoline and Matches, Chief

When I was a kid, banging around the house with five brothers and two sisters, at times I complained of boredom, even in the middle of summer.  These complaints of boredom seemed to be pronounced when my parents had friends over, and, when these constant complaints of boredom got to be to much to bear, my Dad would often state, “If you’re so bored, go play in the street with gasoline and matches.”

I mention the above childhood story in rebuttal to fire chief David R. Peterson’s opinion, regarding The Grand Rapids Press’ opinion, that the City of Grand Rapids went too far when they would not allow the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus to perform one of their cooler circus tricks, Bailey’s Comet. A story I mentioned here.

You see, the chief seems to feel that every kid who goes to the circus and observes someone fired out of a cannon aflame, or observes an individual firing up a barbecue, is going to automatically attempt the same trick, or barbecue fire up, with tragic results.  The chief, in his rebuttal opinion, cites all sorts of tragic statistics, which, I admit, are tragic, but the chief fails to understand that the real lessons about fire safety don’t start with the fire chief, or the fire department, or the city council, or any other arm of the State.  The real lessons about fire safety start within the home, when parents take the time to teach their kids themselves, rather than conceding this task to some government funded flunky with a silver badge on his chest.

Fire can be dangerous, no doubt, but, if more individuals would teach their children respect for fire, rather than fear of fire, quite possibly the chief wouldn’t have to cite all his tragic statistics, and circus acts could continue for what they are.  Circus acts. 

Posted by John Venlet on 10/17 at 02:27 PM
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Rap, His Knuckles

In the comment thread, here, Serpent asks whether I care to comment on the rantings of rapper Kris Parker here.

Well, I’ve read Parker’s dumb ass comments about the attacks on September 11 and find them beyond asinine.  As for Parker being "a fellow Anarchist," well, I didn’t realize I had aligned myself in any anarchist camp.  And as far as Parker himself is concerned, based on his comments in the linked article, I think he is wholly ignorant of the subject of anarchy, beyond the misguided belief, which is in actuality simply ignorance, and held by the majority of individuals, that anarchy is a bunch of crazed assholes running around, willy nilly, with machine guns and molotov cocktails wreaking havoc.

I wouldn’t let Parker shine my shoes.

Posted by John Venlet on 10/17 at 06:50 AM
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Friday, October 15, 2004

A Tome

Interesting read, a review actually, of physicist Roger Penrose’s newest tome The Road to Reality. The review, written by Martin Gardner and published by The New Criterion, is titled “Theory of everything."

Gardner cautions that Penrose’s tome,

”...is on a technical level far beyond the reach of readers unable, as Penrose warns, to handle simple fractions."

Fair enough.  I’ve got my fractions down, though I admit to ignorance in other areas of mathematics.  But that doesn’t scare me, warnings are simply cautions to handle the current situation with care.

Could be an interesting read, even at 85 bucks.

Link via Fred Lapides.

Posted by John Venlet on 10/15 at 04:56 PM
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Charles, Cast Your Net a Bit Wider

The other day I noted John Edwards’ be healed, by voting for Kerry, speech.  Today, I see Charles Krauthammer is noting Edwards’ little revival speech, and taking him to task for it, as well he should.  But, it is the last sentence of Charles’ piece which could be more encompassing.

"There is absolutely nothing the man will not say to get elected."

I’d state that there is absolutely nothing any man, running for the dubious distinction of political office, would say to get elected.

Posted by John Venlet on 10/15 at 10:00 AM
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